Blower wheel



E. D. WISE MAN BLOWER WHEEL May 28, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 24, 1961 INVENTQR. fveezrr Q l/V/SE/VAN, BY

May 28, 1963 E. D. WISEMAN 3,091,385

BLOWER WHEEL Filed Nov. 24, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 15 456577 Q W/smm/v, 4'6 BY (40L du -hi United States Patent Ofifice 3,091,385 Patented May 28, 1963 3,091,385 BLOWER WHEEL Everett D. Wiseman, Columbus, Ind, assignor to Vernco Corporation, Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Nov. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 154,635 10 Claims. (Ci. 230-134) This invention relates to a blower wheel, and more particularly to a blower wheel which can be used at high speeds.

Blower wheels of the general character embodying a hub having a plurality of blades projecting outwardly therefrom are well known in the art. It has also been proposed, as in 'Franke Patent No. 2,750,103, to interconnect the blades in such wheels to the hub without the use of welds. However, when subjected to high speed revolution, the blades on such wheels tend to break at their points of connection to the hub.

It is therefore the general object of my invention to provide a blower wheel which will overcome the difiiculties and disadvantages discussed above. It is a specific object of my invention to provide a blower wheel which will prove sturdy and durable in use even at high speeds, which can be economically manufactured from sheetmetal and metal castings, and which may be of light weight construction.

In accordance with the preferred form of my invention, there is provided a hub comprising a pair of interfitting sections each having an annular series of circumferentially spaced ribs and an axially projecting sleeve spaced radially inwardly from said ribs and projecting axially therebeyond. The sleeves on said sections are disposed in interfitting engagement and the ribs on said sections abut each other whereby said sleeves define an axially extending shaft-receiving opening and the spaces between said ribs and the spaces between said sleeves and ribs define blade-receiving passages.

Projecting outwardly from the hub is a plurality of blade elements, each of which constitutes a pair of blades interconnected at their inner ends by a web. The web of each of said elements is received in the space between the interfitting sleeves and the hub section ribs, and the portions of the blades adjacent said webs are received in the spaces between adjacent pairs of the hub section ribs. Thus, the two hub sections disposed in interfitting engagement encase the inner ends of the blade elements to hold said blade elements connected to hub formed by said sections. Means are provided for releasably interconnecting the hub sections to hold the entire wheel assembled.

Other objects and features of my invention will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a side elevation partially in section of a blower wheel embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the blower wheel shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

'FIG. 4 is an end elevation of one of the hub sections shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of the other of the hub sections shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the blade elements shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in the drawings, my blower wheel comprises a pair of interfitting hub sections 10 and 11 defining a central hub from which project a plurality of circumferentially spaced blade elements 12. The hub section 10 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 comprises an integral one piece casting having an annular series of axially projecting ribs 14 at its periphery. The ribs are circumferentially spaced around the hub section 10 with the slots 16 interposed between adjacent ribs lying on chordal segments of said hub section and extending outwardly to the periphery thereof. Spaced radially inwardly from the ribs 14 is a sleeve 18 projecting axially outwardly beyond said ribs, the spacing between said sleeve and ribs 14 forming an annular groove 20 in open communication with each of the slots 16. An annular shoulder 22 projects radially inwardly from the sleeve with its axially disposed opening 23 constituting a portion of a shaft-receiving opening extending through the hub as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

The hub section 11 shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 also constitutes an integral one piece casting provided at its periphery with an annular series of axially projecting ribs 26 circumferentially spaced around said section with the slots 27 interposed between adjacent ribs lying on chordal segments of said hub section and extending outwardly to the periphery thereof. Spaced radially inwardly from the ribs 26 is a sleeve 28 projecting axially outwardly beyond said ribs, the spacing between said sleeve and the ribs 26 forming an annular groove 30 in open communication with each of the rib slots 27. As shown, the outer diameter of the sleeve 28 is only slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve 18 whereby the sleeve 28 may be slid inwardly into the sleeve 18 to abut the shoulder 22, as shown in FIG. 3. With the sleeves 18 and 28 in such interfitting relationship, the end faces of the two series of ribs 14 and 26 abut each other, and the bore 32 of the sleeve 28 and the opening 23 in the hub section 10 define a shaft-receiving opening extending axially through the interfitting hub sections.

As shown in the drawings, I provide a plurality of means for holding the pair of hub sections 10 and 11 in the desired axial and angular orientation. To this end, a key 33 rojects axially outwardly each from the ribs 26 for reception in a mating keyway 34 formed in each of the ribs 14, and an axially extending key 35 on the sleeve 28 is received in a mating keyway 36 formed in the sleeve 18. There is also provided in the end face of one of the ribs on each of the hub sections a semi-cylindrical recess 37 in radial alignment with a tapped opening 38 extending through the sleeve on each of said sections. As shown in FIG. 3, when the hub sections 10 and 11 are disposed in proper alignment, the recesses 37 define a circular opening in alignment with the openings 38 so that a set-screw 40 may be threadably received in the openings 38 to rigidly join the two hub sections together in the proper interfitting relationship and mount tlfiefhub formed by said sections on a rotatable driving s a t.

As shown in FIG. 6, each of the blade elements comprises a pair of arcuate blades 42 and 44 integrally connected at one of their ends by a web 46. The web 46 and the end portions of the blades 42 and 44 immediately adjacent said web have widths equal to the combined axial lengths of the grooves 20 and 30' when the hub sections are disposed in their interfitting engagement, and each pair of said blades diverges generally radially and axially outwardly from their interconnecting web 46 to dispose the ends of said blades axially outwardly beyond the extent of the interfitting hub sections. Conveniently, each of the blades 42 has its lateral edges bent toward the next blade element 12, as at 48, in the direction of rotation of the wheel. Each of the blade elements 12 is strengthened by a bead 50 extending across the web 46 and the ends of the blades 42 and 44 adjacent said web, and to accommodate said beads, each of the ribs 14 and 26 is chamfered, as at 52.

To assemble my blower wheel, the webs 46 of the several blade elements 12 are inserted in the groove 20 of the hub section 10 with the ends of the blades 42 and 44 adjacent said webs being received in the rib slots 16. In order not to block insertion of the screw 40, none of the elements 12 should be received around the rib 14 having the recess 37 formed in its end face. The sleeve 28 of the hub section 11 is then inserted into the sleeve 22 of the hub section with the keys 33 and 35 being received in the keyways 34 and 36, respectively. With the two hub sections 10 and 11 in such interfitting engagement, the groove 30 is partially occupied by the sleeve 18, and the portions of the webs 46 projecting beyond the extend of the ribs 14 are received in the remaining portion of said groove between the sleeve 18 and the ribs 26. Similarly, the portions of the ends of the blades 42 and 44 adjacent the webs 46 projecting beyond the extent of the ribs 14 are received in the slots 27. In this manner, each of the blade elements 12 is rigidly retained in fixed position between the interfitting hub sections. The entire assembly is then locked up by the set screw 40*.

While I have shown each of the series of ribs 14 and 26 as having a uniform axial length, it is to be understood, of course, that the ribs in each series may have non-uniform axial lengths, whereby when the two hub sections are disposed in interfitting engagement the longer ribs on one of said hub sections will be disposed in mating engagement with the shorter n'bs on the other hub section, and vice versa.

I claim:

1. A blower wheel comprising,

, (a) a hub having an axially extending shaft-receiving opening,

(b) said hub having an annular passage in open communication with a plurality of circumferentially spaced passages extending outwardly therefrom to the circumference of said hub on chordal segments of said hub, and

(c) a plurality of blade elements, each of which is provided with a pair of blades interconnected at one of their ends by a web,

(d) the web of each of said elements being disposed within said annular passage and the pairs of blades on said elements being disposed in adjacent pairs of said plurality of circumferentially spaced openings to retain said blade elements in said hub with their blades projecting outwardly from said hub,

(e) said blade elements having beads formed in their webs and blades matingly engageable with grooves formed in said annular passage and said plurality of passages.

2. A blower wheel comprising,

(a) a pair of opposed interfitting hub sections,

(15) each of said sections having an annular series of circumferentially spaced, axially projecting ribs and a sleeve spaced radially inwardly from said ribs and projecting axially therebeyond,

(c) the space between each pair of adjacent ribs forming a slot extending outwardly to the periphery of the hub section,

(d) the sleeve on one of said sections being disposed within the bore of the sleeve of the other of said sections whereby the end faces of the ribs on said hub sections abut and the bores of said sleeves form an axially extending shaft-receiving opening,

(e) the outer face of the sleeve on said other section being spaced from the ribs on said one of said sections (7) a plurality of blade elements, each including a pair of blades interconnected by a web,

(g) each of said elements having its blades received in an adjacent pair of said slots in each of said hub sections and projecting outwardly therefrom and its web received in the space between said ribs and the sleeve on said other of said hub sections,

(h) and means for releasably retaining said hub sections in interfitting engagement over said blade elements.

3. A blower wheel as set forth in claim 2 in which (a) each of said blade elements has a bead formed in its web and blades, and

(b) said ribs are chamfered to abut said heads.

4. A blower wheel comprising,

(a) a pair of opposed interfitting hub sections,

(b) each of said sections having a series of circumferentially spaced, axially projecting ribs at its periphery and a sleeve spaced radially inwardly of said ribs and projecting axially therebeyond,

(c) the space between each pair of adjacent ribs forming a slot extending outwardly to the periphery of the hub sections,

(d) said sleeves being disposed in interfitting relationship,

(e) a plurality of blade elements, each of which has a pair of blades received in a pair of adjacent slots and interconnected by a web received between said ribs and the outermost of said interfitting sleeves,

(f) and means for releasably interconnecting said hub sections.

5. A blower wheel as set forth in claim 4 in which (a) said slots lie on chordal segments of said hub sections, and

(b) said blades are curved toward the direction of rotation of said wheel.

6. A blower wheel as set forth in claim 4 in which (a) said means comprises a set screw extending through a radially disposed opening formed by said ribs and threadably received in aligned openings formed in said sleeves.

" 7. A blower wheel as set forth in claim 4 with the addition that (a) a plurality of keys project axially outwardly from the ribs on one of said hub sections and are received in a plurality of keyways formed in the ribs of the other of said hub sections.

8. A blower wheel as set forth in claim 4 with the addition that (a) the end face of said innermost sleeve abuts an apertured annular shoulder extending radially inwardly from the outermost sleeve,

(b) the bore of said innermost sleeve and the aperture in said shoulder having equal diameters.

9. A blower wheel as set forth in claim 4 with the addition that (a) the ribs and sleeve on one of said hub sections have keys received in keyways in ribs and sleeve on the other of said hub sections.

10. A blower wheel as set forth in claim 4 with the r addition that (a) the ribs on each of said hub sections have a plurality of axial lengths with the axially inwardly presented faces of the ribs on said pair of hub sections disposed in abutting engagement with each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 735,905 Pinkert Aug. 11, 1903 2,270,574 Bahr Jan. 20, 1942 2,497,242 Sprouse Feb. 14, 1950 2,750,103 Franke June 12, 1956 2,910,224 Campbell Oct. 27, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 332,859 Great Britain a July 31, 1930 614,074 Great Britain Dec. 9, 1948 

1. A BLOWER WHEEL COMPRISING, (A) A HUB HAVING AN AXIALLY EXTENDING SHAFT-RECEIVING OPENING, (B) SAID HUB HAVING AN ANNULAR PASSAGE IN OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED PASSAGES EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM TO THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID HUB ON CHORDAL SEGMENTS OF SAID HUB, AND (C) A PLURALITY OF BLADE ELEMENTS, EACH OF WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF BLADES INTERCONNECTED AT ONE OF THEIR ENDS BY A WEB, (D) THE WEB OF EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID ANNULAR PASSAGE AND THE PAIRS OF BLADES ON SAID ELEMENTS BEING DISPOSED IN ADJACENT PAIRS OF SAID PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED OPENINGS TO RETAIN SAID BLADE ELEMENTS IN SAID HUB WITH THEIR BLADES PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID HUB, (E) SAID BLADE ELEMENTS HAVING BEADS FORMED IN THEIR WEBS AND BLADES MATINGLY ENGAGEABLE WITH GROOVES FORMED IN SAID ANNULAR PASSAGE ANS SAID PLURALITY OF PASSAGES. 